PETALING JAYA: It was Umno’s decision not to field his son which resulted in Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi to walk out of the party, claims Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
The party’s secretary-general described allegations that Umno was controlled by external parties as “slanderous” and misleading.
“He (Mohd Puad) himself wrote to me at length, threatening to leave the party and attack it if Umno leadership did not consider his son as a candidate in Rengit,” he said.
Mohd Puad, who had served as the state assembly speaker, announced he quit Umno, stating the decision was not driven by self-interest but by concerns over what he described as external interference in Johor Umno’s affairs.
Asyraf said while Mohd Puad’s son is young and has leadership potential, it was inappropriate for a veteran leader to pressure the party by insisting that his son replace him as the candidate for the state seat.
He also alleged that this was not the first time Mohd Puad had threatened to leave the party when his demands were not met, claiming the latter had made a similar threat during Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s presidency, if he was not renominated as Batu Pahat MP.
“Umno is not a hereditary party that prioritises family members and relatives to become leaders,” he said.
The Umno secretary-general also said that the party’s struggle is larger than individual interests and that no individual should pressure the party over personal demands.
